In mid-May, Hanoi enters a period many liken to the "sunset season". Thin orange-lit clouds have repeatedly appeared over the capital, casting a golden glow across the waters of West Lake in the late afternoon and drawing large crowds to popular viewpoints to await sunset.
From about 5pm, roads around West Lake such as Thanh Nien Street, Trich Sai Street and the Ngoc Lam ferry terminal area began filling up. Young people, couples, families and groups of friends brought phones, cameras and tripods to line the lakeside in search of the sunset.
The influx of residents and tourists left some roads along West Lake with motorbikes parked across the pavements.
As evening fell, the sun sank towards the horizon, its light shifting from golden yellow to deep orange-red and shimmering across the still lake, creating a rare, poetic scene in the heart of the crowded city.
In the fading light, the sun appeared like a blazing red fireball suspended in the sky.
"The best moment only lasts a few minutes, so everyone tries to arrive early and wait. The sky is beautiful today, with just enough cloud for the sunset colours to come through clearly," one young visitor said while taking photographs.
As the sun turned a vivid red shortly before disappearing, many people immediately raised their phones to capture the fleeting moment. Along the lakeside, passers-by also stopped unexpectedly, stood still for a few seconds and then began taking photographs of the brilliant sunset spreading across the Hanoi sky.
From the Ngoc Lam ferry terminal on the Red River, the crimson evening sun slowly set behind the ageing spans of Long Bien Bridge, creating a scene that was both nostalgic and poetic, distinctly Hanoi.
The last light of the day filtered through the steel frames of the century-old bridge and reflected off the sparkling river, making it a familiar sunset-watching spot for photography enthusiasts and visitors each evening.
After the sun disappeared, the sky softened into shades of blue and violet, but many people lingered by West Lake or along the Red River to enjoy the cool air.
Just a few brief minutes as the red sun slipped below the horizon were enough to make people slow down, look up at the Hanoi sky and hold on to a rare moment of calm amid the bustle of the city.
